Numerical modeling and analysis is an important tool in the design and verification of many engineered structural products and the structural components of which they are composed. One common numerical modeling and analysis technique is finite element modeling and analysis. In accordance with various numerical modeling analysis techniques, computer models may define a working environment in terms of geometry, elements, properties, loads, constraints and the like, and can thus be solved and analyzed to determine structural integrity of an engineered structural product within that working environment, for example. Through numerical modeling and analysis and in particular finite element analysis, it may be possible to break a complex system down into a manageable (finite) number of elements (e.g., a curve drawn as a series of steps). These computer models and their analysis may be used for several purposes, such as to help determine the behavior of a new airplane product design under various load environments.
Pre-processing and data visualization software for simulating a numerical model, such as a finite element model having a finite element mesh, generally provide a means for extracting data across a slice (which may also be known as a cut or cross-section) of the model, such as a slice between adjacent elements. However, during post-processing, the method of extracting raw numerical data for graphing, exporting, and further analysis involves a reasonable amount of user interaction and manual processing, such that it may be time and resource prohibitive to extract data across a slice that does not neatly correspond to a boundary line between elements (i.e. along the nodes) or involves a significant number of elements. In particular, a single finite element mesh for a structural product can comprise more than one hundred thousand elements. As a result, tasks such as identifying elements along a given path, interpolating data and comparing measured values to simulated values, along a given path, are fairly cumbersome for an individual to manually complete and provide accurate results in reasonable time frame. It may therefore be desirable to have a system and method that addresses these challenges, and improves upon existing practices.